Houston Rockets Weekly: Bold Statements About Rockets Defense Lack Context
By Phil Watson
Sacramento Kings: Tuesday, Dec. 31 (Toyota Center, Houston)
Rockets came in off a crushing 31-point loss at Oklahoma City the previous Sunday, while Sacramento arrived having lost at San Antonio the previous Sunday. Omer Asik and Greg Smith did not dress for Houston due to injuries.
Sacramento took a 29-24 lead after one period, getting seven points each from Rudy Gay and Ben McLemore and six from Jason Thompson while Isaiah Thomas had four assists. James Harden scored seven points for the Rockets.
Houston was sizzling in the second quarter, 12-for-16, but the Kings still built their lead to 58-52 at the half in part because the Rockets turned the ball over five times. Gay and Marcus Thornton scored 10 points apiece for Sacramento and Thomas had four more assists. Dwight Howard had 13 points for Houston.
The Rockets came back strong in the third quarter and took an 86-80 lead into the quarter break. Harden erupted for 16 points in the period and Terrence Jones chipped in two blocked shots. DeMarcus Cousins logged nine points and seven rebounds for the Kings and Thomas scored six points.
But the fourth quarter was all Sacramento, as Houston was just 9-for-27 in the period. Thomas scored seven points for the Kings while Gay, Cousins and Jimmer Fredette had six each. Harden scored 10 points and had six rebounds for the Rockets and Jeremy Lin added six points.
On the night, Gay scored 25 points for Sacramento, while Cousins had 17 points, 16 rebounds and four steals. Thomas finished with 17 points and 10 assists, Thornton scored 15 points, McLemore chipped in 13 and Fredette netted 10. Harden pumped in 38 points, a season high, and also had 10 rebounds. Howard had 15 points, Lin scored 14 to go with six assists, Chandler Parsons tossed in 13 points and Jones had 12 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks. Omri Casspi checked in with three steals, but Sacramento beat the Rockets for the second time this season, 110-106.
Sacramento was 42-for-85 (49.4 percent) overall, 7-for-22 (31.8 percent) from 3-point range and 19-for-23 (82.6 percent) from the line; Houston was 39-for-81 (48.1 percent), 7-for-28 (25 percent) and 21-for-33 (63.6 percent).
The Rockets won the boards 43-39, scored more in the paint 58-54, had more second-chance points by a 15-10 margin and outscored the Kings on the fast break 20-18. But Houston’s 16 turnovers created 23 Sacramento points, compared to 13 Kings’ miscues equaling 15 points for the Rockets.